


Cheetahs Never Prosper

by WacheyPena



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Not Yet Friends, Slow Burn, cheetah barry, coldflash is end game, hints of atomwave, lion ray, mentions animal biology, no romance yet, not yet lovers, rated teen for cursing, snow leopard len, tiger mick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 19:25:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8069749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WacheyPena/pseuds/WacheyPena
Summary: Barry's stuck in the form of a cheetah, and finds help in the least likely of places.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [AgentBarryAllen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ninjaucannutseemi/pseuds/AgentBarryAllen)'s fic where Len was a snow leopard. I had wanted to counter it with cheetah!Barry.

Running in a panic on all fours was a lot harder than running on two, especially for someone who had once been a human speedster. Barry had absolutely no idea what he had been turned into by the latest meta-human he had fought as the Flash. What he did know was that he was furry, spotted, incapable of properly using his speed, and he couldn't speak. Well, he sort of barked, but that wasn't stopping animal control from chasing after him. He was barely managing to evade them as he attempted to reach Star Labs.

Cisco and Caitlin should understand what was going on, as Barry carried his mask in his mouth. He had had to leave his costume behind, because it didn't fit his new body. So he had grabbed what he could as an identifier. They had suspected the meta-human he went up against was capable of turning people into animals, and Barry's mistake would confirm their suspicions.

Unfortunately, Barry's new body was growing fatigued, and police sirens were coming from behind him. Joe wouldn't really be able to help him in his current condition, so he tried to find some place to hide. Running into an alley he spotted a garbage bin he could fit into, but chances were they'd look there first.

Then, he noticed a parked car with an open window. He quickly climbed through it and maneuvered into the backseat, grateful he had enough grace in this long legged form to do so. It was then a matter of flattening himself on the car floor and keeping still. He tried to stop panting, but he needed to cool off.

Luck was on his side though as he heard animal control pass by his hiding place and move on, but it didn't last long, because the owners of the car had returned. Then, they threw two large duffel bags into the backseat, one of them spilling out some money. Barry was already on high alert, and this increased his worry. Who's car did he just get into?

"Seat belt," he heard a man say.

There was a familiar grumble from another man before the car started, and Barry was left holding on for dear life as it was driven hastily away from where ever they had stolen the money from. He had a sinking feeling he knew who's car he was in.

"I thought the cops were chasing after us?" Mick questioned as he slowed down to a regular speed. They had heard the sirens, but were completely passed by.

"They must have more important matters to deal with," Len replied calmly. He had heard on the police scanner that the Flash was fighting another meta-human. So it was the perfect time to pull off a heist. And their's had gone off without a hitch.

The rest of their drive was quiet, and soon enough they were at the safe house with over a hundred thousand dollars. It was plenty to last them a couple of months, but not so large that they'd gain unnecessary attention for it.

"We going to celebrate with enchiladas tonight?" Mick asked as he parked the car.

"Chicken or beef?" Len said, nearly rolling his eyes. He was always stuck cooking their victory dinners.

Mick was about to reply when Barry finally sat up from where he had been hiding and attempted to chew them out, verbally. He didn't care that his words sounded more like random barks and chirps, he was pissed they were stealing!

"What the fuck?!" Mick shouted in shock. If they had still been on the road, he would've swerved and crashed.

Both he and Len immediately tried to exit the car, but Barry would have none of that and snatched the fluffy hood of Len's parka. In response, Mick punched him in the face, which caused him to yelp and hide.

"Mick," Len scolded. He could have easily removed his jacket to get away, but now he was trying to see if the animal was hurt.

"The fucker was trying to eat you," Mick replied. He hadn't expected a 'thank you,' but he didn't think he deserved to be chastised either.

"It's just an animal reacting out of fear," Len said, having taken off one of his gloves to cautiously pet the cheetah's head. It had been mewling in distress, so he wanted to calm it down.

Barry had been scared that Mick had broken his jaw, but whatever damage that was inflicted on his face was quickly healed. He was relieved his healing abilities had at least crossed over into this new body.

The cool sensation of Len's fingers on his head had been a surprise, but their continuous, gentle motion soothed Barry's nerves. He found himself rubbing his head against them, receiving firmer petting in response. It wasn't until he heard Mick grumpily leave the car that he sat back up though, giving his ex-arch nemesis the opportunity to pet him with both hands, making him purr.

"That's it, good kitty, you're safe now," Len said to him softly. It was such a different tone from what he was used to hearing from the thief. So Barry opened his eyes, which he hadn't realized he had closed, to see for himself if Len was really speaking. And he saw something he never knew was possible.

There was a genuine smile on Len's face. It was small, but sincere in its kindness and patience. He looked so beautiful in that moment.

Barry shook his head and pulled away, wondering why he was thinking such things when he needed to get back to Star Labs.

"What are you up to?" Len questioned as the cheetah rummaged around in the back.

Barry's panic began anew, because he couldn't find his mask! It had been with him when he got into the car, but at some point during the ride over here he had lost it. He first tried to dig out under the front seats, but his paws weren't very effective for reaching. So he looked through the sacks of money next. But from Len's point of view, it looked more like he was attacking the duffel bags.

"Hey, calm down kitty, are you hungry? I can make you something a lot tastier than what's in there," Len said to placate the big cat.

Barry really wished he could talk and explain his situation, but right now the offer of a meal sounded good. It had been a couple of hours since he last ate, and he felt thirsty too. Besides, their car wasn't going anywhere, so Barry could rummage through it again after he ate.

Len wasn't positive the cheetah had understood him, but as it started moving to the front he decided to just go with it and got out of the car. He would lead it into the safe house and feed it some type of cooked meat. He would also have Mick retrieve the money and look for anything else out of the ordinary like a morsel of food. With the way the animal was digging around, he could only assume it brought a snack of some sort with it. Once he had the cat settled, he'd look into reports on any missing zoo animals.

Barry calmly walked besides Len, curious as to what he would see and later eat, but as soon as he came through the door he heard a scream and was hit in the face with a water bottle. His instinct to flee took over his faculties, and he ran back to the car. Only this time he got stuck trying to fit through the window again, which only served to make his animal instincts panic even more.

Suddenly, he couldn't see as something was put over his face and wrapped around his body. Whatever it was, it was large enough to keep him restrained as he felt someone carry him off. He cried out and mewled loudly in distress, but it didn't have much effect on the person carrying him.

"Why is this cat such a wimp?" Mick asked while carrying the cheetah to the bathroom. It had stopped wiggling about, but continued to let out little barking sounds.

"I'm a thief, not a zoo keeper," Len replied. He had walked ahead and was placing towels in the bathtub for the cheetah to lay on. He then moved out of the way so Mick could lay the animal down.

Lisa hadn't meant to cause any harm to it, she had just grown up to react first and ask questions later. So to make up for her unintentional blunder, she came in with an extra blanket and a bowl of water. Her brother appreciated that, and didn't hold her earlier reaction against her. It wasn't everyday a large predator came into the house after all. Aside from Mick anyway.

"I'm going to stay in here and try to calm it down. Mick, clear out the car, and look for anything like meat hidden underneath the seats. Lisa, take some money to get groceries, including three rotisserie chicken," Len ordered, settling down next to the tub.

Lisa and Mick were reluctant to leave him alone with the big cat, but after a minute or two of nothing happening they left the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

Len sighed, looking over the creature still hiding under his parka, which had been used as a make shift carrier. It hadn't moved since being placed in the tub, but its cries continued. Pulling out his phone, he tried to look up information on how to reduce the cheetah's stress.

Despite knowing he wasn't in any immediate danger, Barry felt overwhelmed with anxiety. His friends and family were probably worried about him, and there was no way for him to let them know he was okay. Would they even know he wasn't dead but turned into an animal by the meta-human? And how was he going to get himself out of the Rogue's safe house? He highly doubted they'd let him wonder off on his own. There was also no chance they'd contact animal control, especially after a robbery. So he was stuck here and at their mercy!

Google search was a bust, so Len was left with following what little knowledge he had in animal care and slowly removed the top of his parka's hood, revealing the cheetah's head. It had its paws over its eyes in a very human gesture of grief. This compelled Len to repeat what he had done in the car and cautiously pet the cat with both of his hands.

Barry had been despairing that he'd forever be trapped in a cheetah body when he registered a pair of cool hands petting him. It had to be Len, and he never appreciated the other man's touch more than he did in that moment, because he was finally able to control himself. These animal instincts were going to be an issue, and he needed to figure them out before they put him in a situation that got him killed. Lifting his head to look at Len, he gave an appreciative chirp.

Len was relieved he had managed to calm the cheetah down again, and was able to get a better look at its face. There were no signs of bruising or bleeding, which he considered a plus. Wanting to be thorough, he gently prodded the cheetah's mouth next to see if anything was broken. Amazingly, the animal tolerated his inspection before pulling its face away with a small huff. Then, he noticed the hints of green in its eyes. He was fairly sure all cheetahs had brown to amber colored eyes.

Had this one in particular been specially bred? And if that was the case, who was the breeder?

He thought back to the police who had passed them by, and wondered if they had been after this cheetah instead. It wasn't unheard of for mob bosses to own exotic pets and for the CCPD to bust them for it. This big cat was also ridiculously comfortable with Len petting it and treating it more like a dog, instead of the dangerous predator that it was. So it had to be domesticated to some extent.

"Mick and Lisa hadn't meant you any real harm. They just acted on their instincts, like you," Len said quietly as he resumed his petting.

Barry snorted at that, he wasn't going to let his guard down around them any time soon. So far, only Len had proven he could be entrusted with his well being, which didn't say much for Barry's prospects, but he had little choice in the matter. He could only hope Len wasn't completely incompetent in regards to animal care.

His chances of survival definitely improved once Len gave him a bowl of water to drink. His throat had gotten sore from his crying fit earlier, and the cool liquid soothed it. He settled down onto the impromptu bedding that had been made for him in the tub as he drank. Len did some more talking and continued to pet him too, but he ignored that for the most part, because while his thirst was quenched, his hunger was not.

Then, he smelled it: chicken.

Len barely had the container of rotisserie chicken in his hands when the cheetah started jumping all over him and mewling for it. They weren't kidding about this cat's speed!

"Down," he ordered firmly, keeping the food close to his chest. It was a test to see the cheetah's reaction. He didn't expect the order to be obeyed in the least, but if it grew aggressive, he'd have to keep it inside the bathroom.

Yet Barry did obey, in fact, he sat down, because he was far too hungry to give a crap about his pride right now. He even gave his best puppy dog look, which turned out to be just as if not more adorable on a cheetah's face. It earned him another rare smile before Len shook his head and placed the food down in front of him. Barry didn't hesitate to go for it, barely registering the thief sneaking out of the bathroom at the same time.

"Alright, this animal is clearly domesticated, so Lisa, I need you to find out if any of the Santini's have lost a pet cheetah today. Mick, what do you have for me?" Len said after closing the door. He walked to the kitchen so he could start dinner for them too.

"We might have a problem," Mick replied, and held up a very familiar red mask. When he had first spotted it with a flashlight, he didn't know what it was. He then had to struggle to retrieve it from under the seat due to his large hands. But he knew it meant trouble once he got a clear look at it.

"Fuck," Len muttered, and turned to his sister.

"I'll make a few calls," she said, understanding without words that he wanted her to contact a certain engineer.

Len started deboning one of the rotisserie chickens and had a small pan of oil heating up while he waited on Lisa to dig up what she could about their cheetah situation. He tried to keep his focus on what his hands were doing, but his imagination kept coming up with worst case scenarios.

Though the mob family had nearly stopped functioning after Len and Mick got rid of their main leaders, there were still a few stragglers that were attempting to rebuild their empire. So was it possible that they had allied themselves with the current meta-human the Flash had gone up against? If so, had they setup some elaborate trap and found out his secret identity? Was Barry even alive? Or did this cheetah just happen to grab a mask from a costume shop?

He had to wait fifteen grueling minutes as Lisa sweet talked the engineer into giving up what team Flash knew before revealing what the Rogues had. The rest of their conversation went by quickly after that as Lisa gave up pretenses, but judging from her skeptical expression, she didn't quite believe what she was being told. She ended the call promising to get back in contact with Ramon after going over everything with Len first.

"So what's going on with the red team?" Mick asked from his spot on the couch. He had been drinking some beer and watching tv.

"According to them, the meta the Flash fought can turn people into animals. So they think the cheetah in our bathroom is their speedster," Lisa explained, her expression still doubtful.

Suddenly, the hints of green Len saw in the cheetah's eyes made sense. They were Barry's eyes! He was surprised he hadn't recognized them earlier, because he had been in the speedster's face often enough to remember them, or at the very least their intensity.

"Don't tell me you actually believe that," Lisa said as she saw the dawn of realization on her brother's face.

"Do Mardon and Baez not ring any bells? Changing people into animals isn't that much of a stretch," Len countered. They'd seen so many crazy things, why was this one the most unbelievable?

"We would have heard of this person by now! I mean, if I had that ability, I'd turn everyone into something harmless like bunnies, and take all the money with no struggle what so ever," Lisa replied. She was sometimes a little jealous of the meta-humans and how their powers could be used to assist them in certain situations.

"They're amateurs who don't know how to use their powers properly," Len continued to argue. At this point in his food prep he was dipping tortillas into the oil to loosen them up.

"They knew enough to take down the Flash," Mick said, adding in his two cents. He didn't care either way if the animal in their charge was the resident hero, he just wanted his enchiladas.

"How do we tell if it's him or not?" Lisa challenged, distracting her brother from throwing something at the pyro. Ever since the incident with their father, Len had become a bit sensitive on the topic of causing actual harm to the Flash.

"Let him out and give him an order. If he obeys, it's him," Len replied promptly. It wasn't like the speedster would have much of a choice if he really wanted to prove he was who they thought he was.

"You do it, he likes you!" Lisa replied. She wasn't about to risk her life on the possibility that the animal in their bathroom was actually the resident hero.

"I'm cooking," Len reminded, knowing neither of them wanted to help out with dinner. His sister sighed and rolled her eyes before walking off to the bathroom as he had predicted.

Barry was gnawing on bones, having stripped them clean of any meat, when Lisa poked her head in. He looked up at her and wondered why she was scrutinizing him so closely. When it went on for too long he snorted at her impatiently.

"Lenny's convinced you're the Flash-- I mean-- we found your mask--" Lisa started to say, only to stop and sigh in frustration. She had no idea what to say to this cat, finding the entire situation ridiculous, and highly doubting this was their arch nemesis. On the off chance she was wrong, well, she'd leave it to her brother to handle.

Her thoughts were interrupted though as the cheetah had risen up and tried to get through the door. She hastily shut it and hurriedly walked to the living room to grab her things.

"Fuck this, I'm staying somewhere else. You two have fun with that beast in there," she announced, rushing to exit the house. Neither man tried to stop her.

"Text me Ramon's number," Len replied, still loosening up tortillas. He didn't hear her reply as she slammed the door behind her, but a minute later he got a text message with the requested information. In the ensuing silence, he and Mick were able to hear the big cat barking through the bathroom door.

"Want to have a go at him, or were you going to leave to?" Len asked, starting to fill some of the tortillas with chicken. He was also preheating the oven.

"After dinner," Mick replied vaguely, confirming nothing.

Len wanted to chide him for his response, but the distinct sound of a door clicking open stopped him. It was less than a second later when the cheetah came out, pausing a few feet away from Mick's location on the couch. The heat gun magically appearing in the pyro's hands probably had something to do with its trepidation.

"Don't move," Len ordered Mick, who had lost his buzz and kept his gaze on the animal.

Turning his own attention to it, Len instructed: "Flash, I'm going to need you to slowly walk over and sit beside me."

The moment of truth, and it felt like an eternity as the cheetah stood there staring between them warily. Finally, it began a deliberate trek behind the couch, watching Mick for any sudden movement; Mick doing the same.

When he was close enough, Barry quickly scrambled to Len's side, pressing himself against Len's legs as he sat down.

"What do we do now boss?" Mick asked, breaking the silence of the room. There were a lot of possibilities to having their nemesis trapped under their roof.

"Dinner, then bed. Anything else can wait till tomorrow," Len said, barely refraining from petting Barry again, but he still had food to prepare. In particular, pouring the sauce and sprinkling cheese.

This cheetah situation was completely unanticipated, so Len wasn't sure what to do at this point. Aside from contacting Ramon and figuring out how to reverse Barry's condition. After all the Flash was a necessary component to Captain Cold's existence, as well as protecting the city from actual threats. There was also the issue of explaining away Barry's sudden absence from the world, and caring for him while he was a cheetah.

Would it be best if Len kept him during this time, or should he hand him over to his friends? Where was the advantage?

Soon enough, Len was putting the food in the oven and washing up what dishes he had made so far. Barry sitting nearby and watching him curiously.

Observing the leader of the Rogues cooking was a surreal experience for Barry, and served as a reminder that Len could be normal, given the right circumstances. Hell, on earth two he was a mayor!

"If you're not too busy, do clean up the mess you left in the bathroom," Len said, interrupting Barry's musings. He received a snort in response, but the speedster had gotten up to leave the kitchen and headed towards the direction of the bathroom.

Barry tried to convince himself that he was only doing this because he had nothing else to do; he wasn't some trained lap dog. He didn't hesitate to hiss at Mick's laughter as he passed the couch though.

First, he picked up the tray of bones he had knocked over in his haste to escape and brought it over to the kitchen's trashcan. Then, he retrieved the water bowl and put it in the sink so Len could wash it too. Finally, there was the matter of putting away Captain Cold's parka. A little unsure on what to do with it at first, Barry eventually settled on putting it in Len's bedroom. Finding said room was a trying endeavor until he realized his nose was much more sensitive in this new body and allowed him to locate Len's scent easily. He dropped the parka onto a desk chair and briskly walked back to the kitchen, deeming his task of cleaning up done.

Once there he was able to smell the chicken cooking in the oven, along with some cheese. He hadn't seen what dish Len had been making, but his stomach was definitely interested in finding out. So he tried to peak through the oven's door and see what was inside.

"Still hungry I see," Len teased, but only received a chirp in response.

He wondered how much of the reactions he witnessed were actually from Barry, because the speedster wasn't known for backing down from anything, let alone one punch from Mick. Had his mind to some extent been altered to that of an actual cheetah? Could he learn to control it? Would his mind even remain intact or revert to primal instincts the longer this went on?

Thankfully, the timer went off interrupting Len's horrifying thoughts. He put on a pair of black oven mitts and gently pushed Barry away so he could get the food out. Putting the enchiladas on top of the stove Len sighed in satisfaction, because they looked delicious. A small chirp had him looking down at Barry and witnessing the puppy dog eyes again.

"He's got you whipped already," Mick joked, having gotten off of the couch and catching Len's fond smile. He sat on a bar stool next to the counter waiting for the food to be served.

"Says the man who cried during Black Beauty," Len replied sharply. He'd like to see his friend try and resist those eyes.

"That movie was fucking sad as shit," Mick muttered, not denying his reactions to it. From what he knew, the book was even worse.

Barry barked to grab their attention again, because he was starving!

"Not sure your stomach can handle enchilada sauce. So you're getting another rotisserie chicken," Len said, pulling said meal from the microwave. He barely put it on the ground before Barry was sinking his teeth into it. Both men watched for a moment in fascination, until Mick's stomach grumbled.

"We'll split Lisa's portion," Len informed as he started to serve them and received a grunt in response. He chose to stay in the kitchen for now so the counter could work as a small barrier between Mick and the cheetah. He wasn't about to invite trouble.

It didn't take long at all for Barry to have nothing left but bones in front of him. So he got up and dumped the tray into the trash bin. Then, he plopped down next to Len again and without thought started to clean his face like an ordinary cat.

"Is he aware he's doing that?" Mick asked curious, about done with his meal too.

"Not sure," Len replied, his previous thoughts returning. They needed to work quickly to find a solution, so he sent a text message to Ramon to try and get the ball rolling.

Barry was very conscious of what he was doing as he continued to groom himself, but chose not to think about it too hard and let his instincts take over for once. He had had a troublesome day today, and cleaning his fur felt right. And how else was he supposed to get clean now that he was a big cat? Licking all over his body took quite a lot of time though, and before he knew it the two thieves were cleaning up and then heading for bed.

Not wanting to be left alone, the speedster attempted to follow after Len, but got shut out of the bathroom. He could hear the man conversing on the phone and moving about in there, probably gathering the towels left in the tub and possibly speaking with Cisco or Lisa. Barry couldn't tell whom as his hearing wasn't that of an elephant's. It was sensitive enough to hear Mick looming nearby though, and he did not want to be around him anymore than he needed to. So with that thought he retreated into Len's room.

The constant feeling of trepidation seemed to be his default setting in this new body, and being around Len or something that smelled like him was the only thing that soothed it. Logically, he knew he couldn't trust Len to completely keep him safe or not use this situation to his advantage. But the animal part of him explicitly trusted Len. Barry hoped it wore off soon, because it would become a real hassle if his friends tried to approach him but he reacted out of fear towards them, or worse, attacked on Captain Cold's command.

Not wanting to think of it anymore, Barry occupied himself with further grooming.

"Do you mind?" Len said a short time later as he came into his room to find Barry licking his crotch, one leg up in the air, and on top of his bed no less! In response, the cheetah simply shuffled around on the bed until he was facing away and resumed cleaning his privates.

Len sighed wondering how this was his life, and warily sat on the unoccupied half of his bed. Of all places to sleep, Barry chose his room to rest in instead of the unoccupied couch. Mulling it over, Len figured the cheetah's instincts were dictating most of the speedster's actions, and he associated him with safety. Though that was no excuse to be so blatant and have his cat dick out for all of the world to see!

"Talked to Ramon, he'll be visiting us tomorrow to take you to Star Labs," he informed, aiming to interrupt and stop Barry's grooming.

It worked as Barry paused and stared at Len in shock. He was simply going to turn him over?

"Don't look so surprised. There's nothing to gain from keeping you hostage," Len said, smirking in personal triumph.

It was the best option towards turning Barry back to normal after all, and less of a hassle for Len to deal with. He also didn't have the current means or knowledge to care for a cheetah properly, and he did not want to be responsible for causing irreparable damage. The Flash was too important to hi-- the city.

Barry found himself feeling giddy and going up to lick Len's face in appreciation, which startled both of them into moving away from each other.

"Don't do that," Len said firmly, wiping his face. He knew where that tongue had been! The speedster promptly responded by burrowing under the covers in embarrassment.

Having nothing more to say and tired, Len took off his shoes, turned out the lights, and got under at least one of the sheets so he could be warm. He was still alert though as Barry started moving about to get comfortable as well. And it was only after the cheetah laid still that Len finally let sleep overtake him.

The next morning, Len woke with his face against cheetah fur and Barry purring away. It was oddly comfortable, and the rumble against his cheek nearly dragged him back to slumber.

"That thing against my hand better not be your dick or I will neuter you," he growled, feeling something against his hand. Fortunately, it was just a paw, but his threat was enough to startle Barry into action as he yelped and jumped out of the bed.

Effectively jostled about, Len was now fully awake, so he decided to take a shower and get ready for Ramon's visit. Mick was still asleep, so he didn't worry about him and Barry getting into it while he was getting ready for the day. The only problem was ordering the cheetah to wait for him to feed him and not to mess with anything in the kitchen.

The speedster had been having a pleasant morning, half-way between awake and dozing like most cats do, as Len had used him as a pillow. Who knew Captain Cold was secretly a cuddler? And Barry's overly tactile nature only increased in this cheetah body. He had felt so safe, warm and content.

Now he was on the search for something to eat despite Len's order not to. It wasn't like he was a bull in a China shop. He was perfectly capable of opening and closing cabinet doors. He was too preoccupied in his quest to notice that someone else was coming into the kitchen though.

Len had barely finished getting dressed when he heard a sudden yell followed by loud hissing. Not waiting for anything else, he rushed out of the bathroom and found Mick holding his hand. The cheetah was crouched down in the kitchen corner, the fur around his neck puffed up and hissing.

"What happened?" Len asked immediately, getting between the two of them. Barry instantly calmed, chirping and rubbing his head against Len's waist.

"Saw him looting the fridge, so I tried to pull him out. Guess I startled him," Mick shrugged. He hadn't let go of his hand.

"Let me see," Len replied, wanting to see the damage, and he couldn't help but wince at the wound Barry inflicted.

"Gonna need stitches?" Mick asked, not really upset so much as annoyed at himself for not thinking about the animal's reaction. Had the situation been reversed he would have done the same thing.

Len was about to reply when the doorbell rang. No one knew of their location except for two people, and Lisa had texted that she wasn't returning until the cheetah was gone. So it could only be the engineer come to pick up Barry. He was early, which Len was grateful for at this moment.

"Supplies are in the bathroom, I'll stitch you up once Ramon has taken the Flash with him," he said, and headed towards the door once Mick left for the restroom.

Opening the door revealed a nervous looking engineer carrying a large bag of cat food.

"That better be bait to lure him into a carrier," Len said coldly. It had been agreed that Barry needed to leave and stay at Star Labs.

"Funny story, but can I come in first?" Cisco asked anxiously. The other man rolled his eyes and let him in.

"Hey, Barry, I brought some kibble for you! You would not believe how much research I had to do in order to find the right kind," the engineer greeted the cheetah. He felt a little crazy for doing so, but thankfully Barry understood and went straight for the bag, eager to eat anything at this point as he ripped into the packaging holding the food inside.

"The deal was that you'd take him, what's changed?" Len questioned, interrupting any further pleasantries between the two.

"We do have other staff members aside from me and Caitlin, and they'd question why we suddenly have a cheetah in our care. So we would have to fill out paperwork to make it look like we have him there for a legitimate reason, and that would attract the media and protesters really fast," Cisco explained, watching as Barry chowed down. It was attention they didn't need.

"Let me guess, none of you can house him either," Len stated bluntly. So he was stuck with a cheetah for a pet.

"Nope, your's is the only place he can stay in since no one knows he's here. Aside from us," Cisco replied honestly. There was no point lying, and the engineer wasn't even capable of it with Captain Cold looking so agitated.

Len wanted to argue and make sure all options were explored when what sounded like an animal growling came from the bathroom.

"What was that?" Cisco gasped. Barry stood up on alert as well, taking a step or two back.

"Mick, I-- Barry bit him," Len said in stunned realization. If the continuous sounds from the bathroom were any indication, it sounded as though Mick had been morphed into another big cat from Barry's bite. The condition was contagious!

"Did you pack a weapon or some type of sedative?" he asked when they heard the door starting to crack.

"Yeah," Cisco replied, trying to take a few steps back himself.

"Give it to me, I have better aim, and get Barry out of here," Len ordered and was glad the engineer had enough sense to hand him a gun with tranquilizers in it.

"What about you?" Cisco asked in concern. Both Lisa and Barry would be upset if he just left Snart to get eaten by Rory.

"I'll handle it, but I need you to leave before--" Len started to argue only to stop due to the door finally breaking.

An outraged tiger walked out of the bathroom. His injury from Barry still visible on one paw, but it didn't look like it would hold him back from attacking.

"Mick, I need you to calm down," Len attempted to say in a neutral tone, but it was obvious there was a note of fear in his voice. He had been sure he'd be able to stay out of Mick's way and put him down, but not with Barry and Ramon in the way.

The cheetah was Mick's target and after emitting a seething growl, he ran for him.

Len reacted without thought, diving forward, and shooting as quick as he could to stop his friend from causing any harm. He wasn't sure he succeeded though as the next moment he blacked out.

-Lenny! Lenny wake up! Wake up, please!- was the first thing he heard when he started to rouse. The voice sounded familiar, but different in a way he couldn't describe. There was also a pain in his shoulder that felt like deep cuts into his skin.

Opening his eyes, the world looked different, and there was a cheetah face too close to his. He sat up quickly to get some distance between them, noting it was a little awkward doing so. Looking down, he no longer had hands, but paws.

-What the hell happened!?- Len demanded in a panic and fell backwards on his own tail. It was immensely fluffy looking with a striped tip and spots. He growled in irritation at it though as it caused him to fall onto his shoulder painfully. Sitting up, he was able to see his injury had been taken care of and was bandaged.

-Mick scratched you, and now you've been changed like him,- Barry explained in his cheetah chirps and barks.

Len didn't understand why he was suddenly able to understand the speedster, but he accepted it as a blessing for now. He hated this situation, but he moved his focus from his own despair to locating Mick. It didn't take long though as the tiger appeared to be dozing away on the couch, his paw wrapped up in bandages as well.

-He's high off of elephant tranquilizers. Cisco also contacted your sister and she agreed to bring food,- Barry added after seeing where Len's gaze went.

-Are we going to lose our minds?- Len asked without thinking. It was a terrifying thought that wouldn't leave him.

-I don't think so. I've been gaining more and more control of my animal instincts, though I sometimes let them go when I have to lick myself or eat that kibble,- Barry admitted. He had had that fear too.

-What are we supposed to do? We can't stay this way,- Len said, his worry governing his thoughts.

-It's alright, Lenny, Cisco and everyone else are doing what they can to locate the meta-human who originally turned me. Once they have them, we'll get turned back. For now we'll just have to settle down here and let them care for us,- Barry soothed, laying down and allowing himself to purr a little. He noticed it had a calming effect on not just himself and wasn't too surprised to find Len getting closer.

-I don't like this,- Len admitted in a soft rumble, resting carefully next to Barry. He was the only one with the answers he needed, so Len wanted to stay close by. The cheetah didn't reply to him, but continued his purring.

Cisco took that moment to take a picture and send it to Caitlin, because it was a rare sight indeed to see a snow leopard and cheetah cuddling like that.

-tbc?

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending, but it does sort of set up for a sequel to this. I can just imagine the shenanigans now. But first, my other WIP's XD
> 
> The eventual goal was to hook Len and Barry up btw, but I had signed up to write a 5k fic only, and the muses did not want to be rushed.


End file.
